The present invention relates to a wall panel system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a moveable non-progressive mountable and demountable wall panel system.
Fixed wall systems, moveable wall systems, and non-progressive wall systems are very well known in the art.
Some problems associated with fixed wall systems are the inability to displace and/or move the fixed wall systems once they are mounted; the inability to readily install passthrough components (wiring, etc.) after the fixed wall systems have been mounted; and the inability to readily change aspects and features of the fixed wall systems once they are installed. Furthermore, fixed wall systems are also disadvantageous because their installing is quite lengthy. For example, for conventional gyproc walls, one must first install supporting studs, then affix gyproc panels thereto, then plaster thereon, wait for drying of the plaster, sanding subsequently and then finishing the surfaces of the gyproc walls. It is well known in the art that the mounting of such fixed wall systems usually extends over several days and requires a great deal of manual labour, which is thus very inefficient and very cost ineffective.
Some of the problems associated with moveable wall systems are that, very often, their components are over-engineered (e.g. too heavy), different and specialized tooling is required for assembling such moveable wall systems, and the moveable wall systems generally comprise various different components which are not readily interchangeable. As a results of the above-mentioned, installation of such moveable wall systems is generally quite lengthy and cumbersome. Furthermore, it is well known in the art that such moveable wall systems, by virtue of their design, offer generally very poor sound proofing, light proofing and/or vibration proofing.
Some of the problems associated with non-progressive wall systems are the inability to independently change, move, and/or alter a particular component of the non-progressive wall system without affecting the other components operatively connected to said particular component. Indeed, by virtue of their design, non-progressive wall systems generally have several components which are intricately connected to one another and thus prevent one particular component thereof from being changed, moved, and/or altered without disturbing the other components of the non-progressive wall system.
Known to the Applicant are the following American patents which describe different wall panel systems: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,040,847; 3,352,078; 3,363,383; 3,675,382; 4,167,084; 4,399,644; 4,640,072; 4,757,657; 4,825,610; 5,056,577; 5,159,793; 5,207,037; 5,379,560; 5,381,845; 5,491,943; 5,644,878; 5,735,089; 5,875,596; 6,112,485; and 6,122,871.
None of the above-mentioned patents seem to disclose or even suggest a movable non-progressive mountable and demountable wall panel system which would overcome several of the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wall panel system which would satisfy some of the above-mentioned needs, and would thus be an improvement over the wall panel systems known in the art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved by a moveable and demountable wall panel system comprising a plurality of panels used for defining an office space, each panel having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, each panel comprising:
opposite top and bottom distance channels, the distance channels extending along directions substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the panel;
opposite left and right vertical posts, the vertical posts extending along directions substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the panel, the distance channels and vertical posts being affixed to one another by means of connecting studs for forming a rectangular support frame of the panel;
a panel covering removably mountable onto receiving means of the rectangular support frame;
a ceiling rail operatively connected to a top portion of the rectangular support frame, the ceiling rail being used for operatively securing the rectangular support frame of the panel to a ceiling surface; and
an articulating floor channel operatively connected to a bottom portion of the rectangular support frame by means of left and right glide assemblies mounted into receiving channels of the left and right vertical posts respectively, the articulating floor channel being used for operatively securing the rectangular support frame of the panel to a ground surface, the glide assemblies being further used for displacing the rectangular support frame with respect to the floor channel along a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the panel;
wherein each vertical post comprises at least one receiving lip extending along a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the panel, each receiving lip being removably connectable to another receiving lip of a vertical post of a neighboring panel by means of a connector for selectively and removably connecting together a plurality of panels in order to define said office space.
Preferably, the receiving means comprise receiving grooves disposed along the vertical posts in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the panel and the panel covering comprises an outer panel shell and vertical stiffeners, the vertical stiffeners being securely affixed to lateral sides of the outer panel shell of the panel covering and being removably connectable onto the receiving grooves of the vertical posts for removably connecting the panel covering onto the rectangular support frame of the panel.
Preferably, the receiving means comprise a receiving groove disposed along the top distance channel in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the panel and the panel covering comprises an outer panel shell and a top stiffener, the top stiffener being securely affixed to a lateral side of the outer panel shell of the panel covering and being removably hookable onto the receiving groove of the top distance channel for removably hooking the panel covering onto the rectangular support frame of the panel.
Preferably, the vertical stiffeners each comprise a bracket and a flexible clip securely affixed onto one another, the brackets being further securely affixed to the lateral sides of the outer panel shell of the panel covering and the flexible clips being removably connectable into the receiving grooves of the vertical posts.
Preferably, the panel covering comprises an outer panel shell and intermediate stiffeners, the intermediate stiffeners being securely affixed transversely onto the outer panel shell of the panel covering in a direction substantially parallel to the horizontal axis of the panel.
Preferably, the connectors may comprise fins, may comprise flexible skirts, and may be provided with covering caps.
Preferably, floor channel is securely affixed to the ground surface by means of fasteners, and the ceiling rail is securely affixed to the ceiling surface by means of fasteners.
Preferably, each glide assembly comprises a substantially L-shaped glide and a glide bolt. The substantially L-shaped glide preferably has an abutment flange and an insert, the insert being removably insertable into a receiving channel of a corresponding vertical post. Preferably also, the glide bolt is threadedly mounted into the abutment flange of the glide and has a pivot head articulately mounted to the floor channel by means of a rivet.
Preferably also, the pivot head of the glide bolt is positioned inside a longitudinal groove of the floor channel, and the rivet of the pivot head is constrained to slide along a transversal slot of the longitudinal groove of the floor channel. The insert of the glide preferably comprises two tongues removably mountable into respective receiving channels of a corresponding vertical post.
The invention and its advantages would be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.